Friday, December 23, 2011

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Kayelle Allen

It's the Christmas season, and what could say Merry Christmas better than the childhood favorite, candy canes? Here are ten ways to make the most of these sweet treats.

1. Candy Cane / Peppermint Stick Centerpiece

Make a pretty centerpiece for your table with peppermint sticks. Use a vase or jar with sides that are straight up and down. Wrap a wide rubber band around the middle of the vase. Insert peppermint sticks beneath the rubber band, all the way around the vase. Complete the look by tying a bright red and white ribbon around the vase, covering the rubber band. Fill the vase with silk flowers in Christmasy colors.

2. Attach small, wrapped candy canes to gifts along with a To/From tag instead of the traditional bow.

3. Use long peppermint sticks or candy canes as stirs for hot cocoa. This adds a minty taste to the chocolate and the "stir" can be eaten.

4. Break the candy cane before the curve, dip it into melted candy-coating or bark, and then roll in sprinkles. Allow to cool on wax paper.

5. Crush the broken "crook" pieces. Serve them on top of whipped cream on a decadent brownie, or stir them into the brownie mix before baking.

6. Save a box of mini candy canes for Valentine's Day. Place two at a time on wax paper with the rounded part of the crooks facing outward and the bottoms together to form a heart. Fill the center with white candy-coating or bark, and sprinkle with colored sugar or pink, red, and white sprinkles. Allow to cool at room temperature (do not refrigerate or chill -- the candy coating will "sweat" and not stick to the canes). To make these into lollipops, add cookie treat sticks (available at craft stores or at online at Wilton) before cooling, and then tie a red ribbon around the top of each lollipop.

7. Look at the making of candy canes with this video from the History Channel.

8. Candy canes can be purchased in boxes of twelve, or in bulk containers of 500. Spangler has made candy canes since 1906, and still makes millions of them every year. Visit their site and learn more by clicking here: Spangler. If you prefer organic and natural dye-free foods, try this site: NaturalCandy.

9. Make iconic Candy Cane Reindeer using good old-fashioned Elmer's glue. This is a fun project you can do alone, but is even more fun with friends, and especially with children. For a supply list and full directions, visit the Elmer's website by clicking here: Candy Cane Reindeer Directions.

10. For my final idea ... eat the candy cane exactly as it is and enjoy licking every last bit!

About the author: Kayelle Allen's motto is "romance lives forever." She enjoys hiking, movies, reading, and SciFi conventions. A multipublished, award winning author with character-driven, plot-heavy SciFi Romances, her worldbuilding skills include alien languages and 10k years of future history. Kayelle is known for unstoppable heroes, uncompromising love, unforgettable passion. You will find her on the web in these places:

Her book At the Mercy of Her Pleasure is available from Loose Id, in print, Kindle, Nook, and at Fictionwise. To enter a drawing for a download of the book, leave a comment on this blog and email her at kayelle.allen@yahoo.com. Please put Candy Cane in the subject. PDF will be sent to the winner unless another format is specified (Kindle, for example). The Kindle version of this book is available (as are all of Kayelle's titles) for electronic autograph at Kindlegraph.

Everyone who enters will receive a set of downloadable Character Recipe Cards in PDF format by return email.

Thanks so much for ideas about candy canes. My grandfather loved them so much. We always got him the big barber poles, that had to be broken up each year. I think my oldest nephew (11) is following in his footsteps. He will eat candy canes (or peppermints) whenever he gets the chance, probably until he got sick, lol.Have a happy holiday season.manning_j2004 at yahoo dot com

The candy cane ideas are adorable and I enjoyed the video about how the canes are made. I had no idea the candy was heated to such high temperatures or that they made so many a day. I will think about that each time I purchase a candy cane in the future. Thanks!

What a Great Idea, I just Love Candy Canes, I love making Christmas Cookies in all different shapes. I would Love the opportunity to enter your contest for a drawing for a download of "At the Mercy of Her Pleasure". Thank you.Take Care & Happy Holidays,Renee' S.paranormalromancefan@yahoo.com

My favorite way to eat peppermint is wrapped in dark chocolate (like a peppermint patty). I've seen the cane-shaped ones in many flavors over the years, but haven't found chocolate mint. That would definitely be one to buy!